The Benefits of Crisis Media Training
How your company will benefit from crisis media training
Crisis media training is not an optional extra but an essential core skill for your senior executive and PR team.
Anticipate and plan for a range of possible crises – it’s important for the team to know how to engage with the media when events are spiralling out of control.
Respond to realistic and relevant scenarios – the simulated crises are carefully constructed and based upon real-life incidents within your industry.
Test your crisis management plan – the training enables you to respond to challenging questions according to your plan.
Understand media requirements – the media cannot be ignored. Give them established facts when you can in a manner that will accommodate their deadlines. If you don’t fill the vacuum others will.
Crisis message development – understand what the audience needs to know and what your organisation needs to show.
Align your top team – ensure everyone is working to the same plan and engage with the media as a team. Messages from your organisation must be consistent.
Understanding the concerns of your audience – see unfolding events through the eyes of the public and ensure this is properly addressed in interviews.
Identify current and future spokespeople – advice will be given about who is ready for all media encounters, who can do some specialised interviews and who requires further training.
Choose your stars – some of your team will dazzle – inspiring confidence even under the most difficult circumstances. Those are the ones you want to represent your organisation.
How you will benefit from crisis media training
Confidence in your ability to handle difficult situations – this should diminish your fears of the unknown. If the worst happens, you can deal with the trickiest questions.
Improved verbal and non-verbal skills – to demonstrate confidence and competence. Understand how your voice and body language can be improved to enhance your stature and inspire trust.
Skills to handle difficult questions – whether it be a job interview, conversations with journalists or stakeholders or even an appearance before a Public Accounts Committee, the ability to handle difficult or left-field questions is an invaluable skill in difficult situations.
Become an empathetic spokesperson – however, empathetic you may be it isn’t always easy to show this under pressure. With training you can learn to let your humanity shine through.
Increase your employability – the ability to speak on behalf of your company with confidence and skill even in the most difficult situations, is an enormous asset valued by employers